As we watch this nightmare unfold in Israel—many of us heartbroken, or worrying about friends and loved ones—it is easy to feel helpless. But now is a time of action, and JFCS is working closely with our partner agencies in Israel to provide direct assistance including emergency food, shelter, a...
Over the weekend, Hamas—the Iranian-backed terror group controlling Gaza—launched an unprovoked and vicious surprise attack on Israel and its families. Hundreds of Israeli children, families, and elderly have been murdered or kidnapped to be used as human shields. We are heartbroken for the fami...
We are all heartbroken by the unprovoked and vicious attacks that Hamas—the Iranian-backed terror group controlling Gaza—have made on Israel and its families. Hundreds of Israeli children, families, and elderly have been murdered or kidnapped to be used as human shields. We are horrified by thes...
Tad Taube and his wife, Dianne, have been longtime supporters of JFCS and models of philanthropy for the entire community. Because of their generous contributions over the years, thousands of individuals and families have found help in times of personal crises or challenges. Now, with the establishm...
Marcelo and Doreen met in Buenos Aires in 2008. Marcelo was a journalist and human rights activist who had been wrongfully imprisoned by the military junta as a youth. Doreen was an author and poet from Marin. Both lovers of tango, the pair became enamored with each other on the dance floor of the b...
September 14, 2023—Governor Newsom has signed and passed California’s 2023-24 budget, which includes $1.5 million in renewed funding for the California Teachers Collaborative for Holocaust and Genocide Education. The Collaborative is developing a robust series of new, standards-aligned lessons a...
In 2019, Drs. Kathy Fields and Garry Rayant led the launch of the Center for Children and Youth (CCY), the brainchild of Dr. Anita Friedman, Executive Director of Jewish Family and Children’s Services (JFCS). Together they developed a new and more comprehensive approach to addressing services ...
According to the Pew Research Center’s new “Parenting in America Today” report, the top concern among parents of children under the age of 18 is mental health. Dr. Sarita Patel, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at the Center for Children and Youth, a division of Jewish Family and Children’s...
For decades, Alice took pride in preparing gourmet meals for her husband, Joe. When Alice’s memory declined and she forgot most evenings to cook, Joe didn’t have the heart to raise the issue. Their weight and health began to suffer. Worried, Alice and Joe’s daughters looked for he...
Valentina and her daughter fled Ukraine in the spring. Shortly after arriving in San Francisco, Valentina broke her leg. In need of medical care and a place to live, she called JFCS. JFCS helped Valentina navigate health insurance and find temporary lodging with local volunteers. It took a while to ...
“When JFCS called me with the news about this scholarship, my eyes immediately filled with tears of joy and I felt a sense of relief and happiness rush through my whole body,” says local student Shana Sklovsky. This spring and summer, outstanding young people in our community received the joyful...
June 6, 2023, San Francisco—The Jewish Family and Children’s Services (JFCS) Holocaust Center has announced the public phase of a $45 million capital campaign to build a new, state-of-the-art Holocaust Center, library, and archive. The JFCS Holocaust Center is widely recognized statewide, nation...
Seventy local teens are getting the chance to explore their career interests and learn on-the-job skills through YouthFirst’s Summer Internship program. These paid, six-week internships pair teens with a business or organization in the community to learn valuable, on-the-job skills and gain re...
As a caring member of our Bay Area community, you likely know that many of our neighbors face challenges—from hunger and loneliness to emergencies, like job loss, wildfires, or sudden illness. There are many ways you can help strengthen our community and ensure that no one struggles alone! Through...
By the time Diana was referred to JFCS by her synagogue, she and her children were homeless. They fled home after the children were physically abused by their father, and they had nowhere safe to go. JFCS’ Dream Program provides tailored support to families like Diana’s because of the gener...
On May 12, two Holocaust survivors—Sonia Apfelbaum, 81, and David Diamond, 92—stood on the bimah at Peninsula Temple Beth El in San Mateo in front of family and friends. Their dreams of becoming a Bat and Bar Mitzvah had been lifelong in the making, and three years in the making for JFCS and a s...
Social Services for Jewish Nazi victims have been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
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